Parish nurse movement growing in Indiana

The parish nursing movement is growing in Indiana, according to Sherry McIntyre, RN, parish nurse program coordinator of the Indiana Center of Parish Nursing located in Indianapolis. The center serves to build and sustain healing ministries in faith communities.

During a recent interview, McIntyre told Together that the year-old center provides resources for parish nurses who educate and refer church members in United Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, community churches and other faith groups across the state. The volunteer center is housed in a Clarian Health Partners facility located across the street from Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Noted for blood pressure screenings, parish nurses hold health fairs for the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of pastors and parishioners. McIntyre said the vast majority of parish nurses are volunteers who are employed by health care providers such as hospitals, clinics and physicians' offices, and give of their time to improve the health of faith communities. The Indiana Center of Parish Nursing works to network among faith communities and parish nurses.

The Indiana Center of Parish Nursing also collaborates with faith communities and partners with health care organizations to provide health ministry education for the public, nurses and faith communities. Networking with both faith communities and parish nurses is an important function of the center.

Many parish nurses in Indiana receive their special training in parish nursing as registered nurses through the University of Indianapolis nursing school.

Indiana's parish nurses are part of the national Health Ministries Association based in Roswell, Ga. HMA has resources available that can assist congregations in developing health ministry programs as well as facilitate the ongoing process of practice and education. According to HMA, the goal of the association is "encouraging, supporting and developing whole person ministries to the integration of faith and health."

More information about HMA is available online at www.hmassoc.org or by calling toll-free 800-280-9919.

Parish nurses also receive the support and coordinate their efforts with Indiana's health care providers, according to Dan Hodgkins, vice president of health promotion and community redevelopment at Community Health Network in Indianapolis. Supporting health care institutions include Clarian Health Partners (including Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis), Mary Margaret Hospital in Batesville, Community Health Network, Hancock Regional Hospital in Greenfield, Marion General in Marion, St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers, St. Joseph Hospital and Howard County Health Department, St. Vincent Health and Tipton County Memorial Hospital.

"All of these facilities have parish nursing and/or health ministry programs as on going programs that are very active," said Hodgkins.

The movement itself is growing in its inclusiveness and is now open not only to parish nurses, but also program coordinators, clergy, lay health ministers, health and human services professionals and professional educators.

Local HMA chapters, like the Indiana Chapter, are developing in all parts of the country as members come together to support each other in the development of health ministries. National standard HMS membership is $120 per year. Student and retiree membership is $80. More information about HMA is available by calling toll-free 1-800-280-9919 or logging on to www.hmassoc.org.

The Indiana Chapter will be hosting the fifth annual health ministries conference, this one on mental health, at Zionsville United Methodist Church Sept. 15.

For more information about the conference or about parish nursing, contact McIntyre at 317-355-8702 or by e-mail at smcintyre@ecommunity.com.

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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